Dredge



Sept. 2, 1941. B. E. WHEELER DREDGE Filed Feb. 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR N EYS llllll WITN E55 P 1941- B. E. WHEELER 2,254,464

DREDGE Fll ed Feb. 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Bymnfi Aqgr VJ m /W Patented Sept. 2, 1941 "U ED; STATE S O E 1 Spanner: Byron E. Wheeler, Greenfield, Mo. 'ippmfia'atais s, 1946, Serial No. 317,585 I 4Claims. (c1. 3M1) .This invention relates to improvements in dredges and especially is concerned with new and improved means for mounting a dredging bucket upon a dredge jib whereby facile action of the machine is facilitated. I p

In most types of dredges' now in use it is neces sary in unloading the bucket to swing more than one jib. That-is to say, if the bucket were carried upon a first jib'and its motion is controlled by cables extending from a'second jib, it normally is necessary to move both jibs in unloading the bucket if the bucket contents are to be substantially completely removed. This is necessitated by reason of the cables by which the bucket is moved since these cables normally are carried in guideways mounted upon the secondjib and, to assure maximum efiiciency, the second jib during use occupies a substantially horizontal position whereas, in raising the bucket, the second jib usually occupies an oblique or semi-vertical position. 3

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved dredge construction which includes means for permitting the raising of the bucket carrying jib without necessitating movement of the jib or gantry which serves as a support for the bucket cable guides.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of dredge construction per mitting the discharge of efiluent by gravity. from the rear of the dredge barge as contrasted to common types of dredges which require pumping or other means of artificial transfer for removing efiluent after receiving the same from the dredging. bucket.

'A further object of th'e'present inventionis to provide a novel type of dredge including means for easily but quickly and accurately'adjusting the arc of sweep of the "dredging bucket; thereby facilitating dredging of apool to a predetermined depth. p

An advantage of .the novel dredge construction according to this. invention over existing types of dredges is that in this instance'means. are provided for facilitating alignment of operating cables and. cable guides whereas heretofore it has been necessary during of dredges to adjust manuallyor otherwise performoperations upon the cables to, cause them during use to return to orremaininqcable guides; t. V. Noteworthy among the features of thenovel dredgeconstruction accordingto the. present .invention are .its simplicity and ruggedness of con-; struction ;.Which serve both to "reduce the :cost

ofmanufacture of the dredge and also to minimize "the. expense or necessity for repair under conditions of ordinary use. l

.Other objects, advantages and features of the new and improved dredge according to the presentii'nvention will be apparent to those skilled in this iart during the course of the following description. J 1 Regarded inv certa'inof its broader aspects a novel dredge-according to this invention com- :pr-ises on a floatingwbase, an outwardly extending rigid 'gantr-y extending across the mouthof a .w.ellway formed in the base, a bucket carrying jib swingable within said gantry and into said wellway, cable guides on parts of said gantry nearest the path of movement of the bucket, and lugs connected to operating cables mounted on said portions of the bucket whereby, during swinging offthe bucket into raised position, the cables are raised andremoved from the guides but, upon return-swinging motion of the bucket, the cables are-replaced-in the guides.

Mm order: to facilitatea fuller and more complete understanding of the present invention'a specific embodiment thereof herein illustrated will be' hereinafter described, it being clearly understood, however, that the illustrated embodiment, although presently preferred, is'provided solely by wayofexample of the practice of this invention and not by way of limitation thereof except insofar as the invention is recited in .the subjoinedclaims 2 r Referringthen to the drawings, Figure -l is substantially a side elevational View of a-dredge according to the presently preferred embodiment of this invention showing the dredging; bucket in several position assumed during use uli- I Fig-24s a top plan view partially in section of --the* device illustrated in Fig; 1, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the sluiceway,--and-- 1 "Figs. l 'and 5 respectively are bottom and top views of the dredging bucket.

-Fig.;6 isia'n enlarged bottom plan view of the dredging bucket; showing the lock for holding theswinging'doorsclosed.;

" In the accompanying figuresofdrawing the inopening on the front end of the barge is provided to increase the scope of movement of the dredging bucket without requiring shifting of the center of gravity of the machine to a precarious po sition near the barge edge.

A gantry I5 comprising upright frames I5a connected by a cross piece I5!) is mounted across the mouth of the wellway I4 and projects outwardly obliquely with respect to the barge substantially as shown. A boom l5 verticallyswingably mounted in bearings ll attached to" parts of the barge near the closed end of the wellway I4 is movable by means including a hydraulic;

motor l8 pivotally mounted in bearings l9 tached to parts of the barge, and connected to r the boom by means of a piston rod 20 whereby reciprocation of the piston rod causes oscillation of the boom in a vertical plane.

Jibs 2| freely swingably mounted the distal end of the boom l6 by means includin'g'a pivot shaft 22 carryontheir free ends a dredging bucket 23 which, it. will be noticed, 'is disposed in a manner such that the open end of the bucket is substantiallyat; right angles to the axis of the jibs. One side of the bucket 23 is provided with a serrated edge 23:; to facilitatebiting of the pool bottom or side and the opposite side .of

the bucket comprises swinging doors23b which may be held in closed position by a lock.2 3c. It

will be noticed that the doors during use ofthe. bucket normally form the top side, but when the bucket is inverted for emptying, as-will be hereinafter described, the doors form thebottomside. The doors 23b are hinged at 23d to the sidesof the bucket and are provided attheir inner edges with oppositely arrangedcut away portions 23h.

move into opened position. As the bucket 23 is moved downwardly after emptying to occupy the lowered position shown in Fig. 1 and designated by the reference character B, the door close and look by action of gravity and the bucket then may be swung through its cycle of motion to fill the same with parts of the pool bottom or sides as the case may be.

As will be apparent from consideration of the accompanying drawings, the, boom l6 may be raised; or lowered by means of the hydraulic motor [8 whereby the arc of sweep of the bucket can be raised or lowered to suit the requirements and conditions of use.

ever, the course of travel of the bucket is sub- In each instance, howstantially that shown by the dotted lines C in Fig. l'whereby during a portion of the motion of the bucket the lugs 23d over-ride the cable guides 24a, thereby raising the cables from the guides as has been hereinabove described.

' It is to be understood that this invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the 'preciserillustrated forms nor described construction and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceedthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what it isde'sired to secure'by, Letters Patent is:

i 1. In a dredge construction of the type including a-iloating base'having a dredging wellway therein, the improved means for mounting the dredging bucket which comprises an obliquely outwardly extending gantry mounted on said base across the open end of said wellway; a boom, swingable about a horizontalaxis mounted at its proximal end on said base near the The lock 230 is normally outwardly spring held and supported bythe bucket. The sideedgesof the lock are provided with'oppositely arranged outwardly extending lugs 23f, which normally engage the outer'jfaces-of the doors :and hold them in their closed positionifis .shOwn'inFigure 6 The longitudinalmovement of the lock, caused by'its engagement with the cross piece 23e, brings the lugs 2 3j below the cut awayportions 23h to allow the'doors toswingdownwardly;

The lugs are beveled in order that-the lock will be moved longitudinally by engagementwithjhe cut away portions; hen the bucket is moved back to itsdredging position. i V

Operating cables 24 con ected to the bucket 23 by outwardly projecting lugs 23d mounted on the bucket sides are received inpable guides- 24a freely rotatably mountedupon portionsjof the gantryyls nearest the ipathi-pf motion-of the bucket in e 5.1 1! iha rasfhabuckct 23 carried cnuie'armiz'l s swung about the axis defined by the shaft2'2fthe cables 24 are raised and removed from the guides 24g. ,when thelouck- 'et is moved into raisedp itiori andreturnd to the guides whenfthe bucke is moved-into lowered position. i" T i I 1;; The operating cables 24iare' passedover; ely rotatable pulleys 25 carried on standards 26 mblm'ted 1111011 b rt r-base. J .li l h ie lfia iy as shown and the .free ends-Toffthe eables areattached to'wmches 2 1 operated by suitable means '(iio'tshownr whereby' 'the bucket 23 fmay be moved by tensioning or relieving tens on in vthe cables: "w i u retza nq re wao e imeee ra lr.desigee ezbr;the refi'ence re=i ;&e;.ie;E- a aetheiackaficem il efqr i :"lec m un d ssi he meiii 9 .aslil e wa flii march thei qorsare un eeke and. sw n n n eractiomp eraiitn closed end of and movable into a position over- :lying a major portion ofsaid wellway; a jib,

mounted on the distal end of said boom, vertically swingable within said gantry into said well way; a dredging bucket on the free end of said jib; cable guides on parts of said gantry nearest the path of movement of the bucket; operating cables extending over said guides; and outwardly projecting lugs onthe sides of'said bucket attached to said cables whereby when said bucket is raised through said gantry the cables are raised from theguides and are returned thereto when the bucket is lowered. 1 I ,2. In a dredge construction, the combination with a support, an obliquely outwardly extending rigid gantr a' boom pivotally mountedon said support, meanslfor raising and lowering said boom, a jib pivotally connected to the'ou'ten end of the boom, a dredging bucket rigidly carried by the outer end of the boom and having aswinging dump side -pulleys carriedby the gantry, a cable passing over thejpulle'ys andsecured to the outer end of the'jib', outwardly projecting lugs on the sides of said bucket so that during the raising of the bucket through the, gantry the cable will be raised fromthe pulley and lowered on the pulley during the lowering of the bucket.

" 3. In a' dredge construction, the combination with a support, an outwardly extending rigid gantry, a boom pivotally mounted on said sup port andswinging through said gantry, means for raising andlowering said boom, a jib pivotany connected to the outer end of the boom, a dredging bucket rigidly carr-ied by the outer end ofthe boom and having fa. swinging dump side, pulleys carried by the igantryl,f a .driven cable passing over the pulleys andconne'cted to out wardlyextending arms carried by .th'e-J'ib, 'a con,

veyor above the support, and means carried by the conveyor for releasing the swinging dump side of the bucket.

4. A dredge construction, comprising a support, an obliquely outwardly extending rigid gantry carried thereby, a boom pivotally mounted on said support, a jib pivotally connected to the outer end of the boom and swinging through said gantry, means for raising and lowering the boom, a standard carried by the support, a driven drum carried by the support adjacent the standard, 

